José Saramago is an atheist, but his version of the story of Joseph, Mary and Jesus is written with compassion and respect for the historic characters. This is not as blasphemous as it might apprear. I don't know what to make of everything I read, though. It is a fascinating tale of Jesus' birth and early upbringing, half realistic half mythical, but with a believable realism at heart. Joseph's dilemma of whether to save his son or save all little boys in Bethlehem is among the most potent parts of the novel, pondering if sin, guilt and shame can be inherited. Mary is not much of a goddess in Saramago's version, but nevertheless a believable character, as is Mary Magdalene, who is Jesus' lover and most loyal companion. Jesus' rebellion against the Jewish God and Devil is weird, but also where it gets most interesting. The conversation between God, Satan and Jesus out on the Genesaret sea, gives a chilling description of everything that later happens in the name of religion, particularly the Christian religion, but also Islam, an important reminder for contemporary readers of how religion has stolen so many lives and created so much misery, so many wars, and is still the main reason why this world is being torn apart even today. I believe Saramaga's fascination with the setting and the story, is because this is where it all started, the nucleus of the troubles. In a kind of contrafactual way he at leas indicates what could have been avoided. For me, The Gospel According to Jesus Christ, is Saramago's most complicated book, still very readable. ( )

The life of Jesus re-created with the “blank spaces left by the other gospels filled in”, so Saramago. The guilt of Joseph is inherited by his son. The son is a tool in the hands of God, the father, who claims him, a merciless God of the Old Testament, determined to extend his power beyond the small tribe of the Israelites. God and the Devil barter like they did over Job, but also the Devil benefits from the extension of God’s power: one needs the other. The Devil appears often more compassionate than God. God is the God of the past, the present, the future: nobody can escape their destiny determined by God, neither Mary, neither Joseph, neither Jesus, neither the apostles including Judas, who is sacrificing himself by offering to carry out Jesus’ wish: one of them has to do it after all.It is a brilliant novel! I like the way Saramago writes: the gospel is told by description, by dialog, by thoughts, interlaced with wry comments of the narrator.You need to count yourself among Nietzsche’s ‘freie Geister’ to appreciate this book. This can neither be said of the Catholic Church nor the 1992 Government of Portugal. (VI-14) ( )

A somewhat annoying read given Saramago's stylistic choice of long paragraphs with little punctuation, it still moves surprisingly quick, and there are strikingly beautiful passages and meditations spread liberally throughout. The very concept of the book is ingenious, and he pulls it off in a satisfying way, creating a vivid and realistic portrait of Jesus' life. I particularly enjoyed his descriptions of some of the famous miracles and apparitions, which he often paints in a more mundane (though equally miraculous) light. The narrative is awkward at times, partly because Saramago chooses to vacillate between present and past tense almost inexplicably, partly because he makes anachronistic asides to the reader. But it works wonderfully when he stays true to Jesus' own time period.

SPOILER -- The ending was disappointing. The conversation between Jesus, God and the Devil on the boat (which I consider the climax) struck me as a rather childish criticism of Christianity -- that God is a power-hungry egomaniac who created Jesus only to bring him more followers. Ballsy maybe, given Saramago's Catholic environment, but I had the same thoughts in high school and have since moved on. Jesus' inner rebellion against God is interesting to be sure, but I wish it had been developed further, and the ending explained a little more fully. As it is, the ending confirmed what I had suspected in the beginning after various subtle satiric jabs: Saramago is in many ways a more lyrical and elegant version of Mark Twain. Or would that just be Mark Twain, Romance Language Edition? ( )

I can't help but compare this book with my favorite Saramago book, "Blindness". They are so different in many ways. "Blindness" has its anonymity, "The Gospel..." has God and Jesus. As a Catholic, I know God and Jesus like I know my mother and father. I grew up hearing stories about Jesus. Reading "The Gospel" was a challenge for me because it was a different story I've heard and I can't help but feel guilty reading it. Saramago can be persuasive and if your faith does not have a good foundation then you'll probably be an atheist after. It was written so well that you can't help but believe it. However, it might be written so well but I think it still lacks emotion/feeling which "Blindness" has. I thought i would at least feel some deep emotions because its about Jesus but all I felt was remorse that the book ended the way it did. Saramago took his time with this book then suddenly the ending felt too hurried. He just wanted Jesus to die. He has given more thought on Joseph's death than on Jesus'. Overall, it felt biased and maybe it is since the book it suppose to be about the humanness of Jesus but still, I felt uncomfortable about it. its up to you if you want to read it or not because this is a book that has no limit which is both good and bad. ( )

Wikipedia in English (2)

A wry, fictional account of the life of Christ by Nobel laureate José Saramago

A brilliant skeptic, José Saramago envisions the life of Jesus Christ and the story of his Passion as things of this earth: A child crying, the caress of a woman half asleep, the bleat of a goat, a prayer uttered in the grayish morning light. His idea of the Holy Family reflects the real complexities of any family, and—as only Saramago can—he imagines them with tinges of vision, dream, and omen. The result is a deft psychological portrait that moves between poetry and irony, spirituality and irreverence of a savior who is at once the Son of God and a young man. In this provocative, tender novel, the subject of wide critical discussion and wonder, Saramago questions the meaning of God, the foundations of the Church, and human existence itself.